In this never before released recording from 2017, Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick interviews Abbot Seraphim (Schema-Archimandrite Panteleimon) and Hierodeacon Makary of Holy Cross Monastery (ROCOR) in Wayne, West Virginia, asking the question: How does the monastery engage the world?By Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick

In his 1936 lecture "Beowulf: The Monsters and the Critics," J. R. R. Tolkien refuted the prevailing Beowulf scholarship of his day, which disdained the poem for its focus on monsters. He had this to say about the Old English epic:“I would suggest, then, that the monsters are not an inexplicable blunder of taste; they are essential, fundamentally a…

There are memes and headlines going around tracking a change from 700,000 American Orthodox Christians in 2020 to 6 million in 2024. With the convert surge going on, this sounds... plausible?Matthew Namee joins Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick to talk about not only whether those numbers really make sense but also the history of how Orthodox Christians in…

What exactly is the traditional role of women in the Orthodox Church? This question can be controversial, and attempts to answer it by referencing early Christianity are often short on solid scholarship in service to the Church. The subject of deaconesses is a significant lightning rod for this issue at the moment. Presbytera Dr. Anysia Metrakos jo…

In one of his YouTube videos, Fr. Andrew discussed a pile of anecdotal evidence that there is an Orthodox convert surge. But is it real? Does it show up in real data? And is it true that there is a big spike in young men converting? Does the form of reception (baptism vs. chrismation only) make a difference in long-term engagement?Matthew Namee, Ex…

Orthodox priest Fr. Jacob Siemens who has lived in Cardiff, Wales, for some 20 years, talked with me about Orthodox Christianity in Wales, both in the ancient Church and in the modern period.And of course we also talked about King Arthur. And the dragon.By Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick

During his pilgrimage in Wales, Fr. Andrew met the remarkable Tad (Father) Deiniol, pastor of All Saints of Wales Orthodox Church in Blaenau Ffestiniog and the only Welsh-speaking Orthodox priest in the country.During the interview, he told Fr. Andrew the story of how he became an Orthodox Christian and also many details of Orthodox saints of Wales…

Rowan Williams, former Archbishop of Canterbury and head of the Anglican communion, sits down with Fr. Andrew at Ss. Theodore and Teilo Orthodox Church in Cardiff, Wales, to discuss his 60-year relationship with the Orthodox Church, including major figures such as Metr. Kallistos Ware and Archim. Barnabas (Burton). He also gives some pointers for p…

Matthew Namee, Executive Director of the Orthodox Studies Institutes, shares a new study tracking the disturbing reality of the major deficit in Orthodox clergy being ordained in the United States. How did we get here? What are the contributing factors? How do the Orthodox compare against non-Orthodox churches? What are the ramifications of the sho…

What was it like to hang around with St. Raphael of Brooklyn? Did you know St. Tikhon had a brother who was in love with an opera singer? What about the mysterious Bulgarian monk who tried to convert the leader of the Mormons and became a ghost story in the Old West?In this video from Fr. Andrew's YouTube channel, he interviews Matthew Namee, Execu…

In this conversation from Fr. Andrew's YouTube channel, he welcomes Jonathan Pageau to discuss the Meaning Crisis and how the gospel of Jesus Christ responds to it. What is this crisis? Where did it come from? How is it affecting us and our world? And how does the gospel make sense of the crisis and heal us from it?…

Fr. Andrew interviews two of the nuns of the Monastery of St. John the Baptist in Essex, England, who share with him the life and teachings of St. Sophrony (Sakharov), who founded the monastery. The interview was conducted on-site in the personal study of St. Sophrony at the monastery.By Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick

Fr. Nicholas Palis joins Fr. Andrew in the studio to tell him stories about his own encounters with five canonized saints -- Paisios the Athonite, Gerasimos Mikragiannanitis of Athos, Ephraim of Katounakia, Porphyrios of Athens, and Sophrony of Essex -- as well as other holy people -- Fr. Nikodimos (Nicholas) Kossis and Fr. Eustathios Giannakidis a…

Dr. David Ford, Professor of Church History at St. Tikhon’s Orthodox Theological Seminary, author and editor of multiple books, has a special love for St. John Chrysostom. He tells the story of how he became an Orthodox Christian, his life as a professor at St. Tikhon’s Seminary, his emphasis on writing about marriage and married saints, and his ne…

During a pilgrimage to the Holy Mountain of Athos, Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick collected interviews with pilgrims, talking about their purpose for going to the mountain and what they received while they were there. Included along with these short interviews is a longer conversation between several of the pilgrims and a holy elder living in Kelli Maro…

Coloratura soprano Dr. Fotina Naumenko, Professor of Voice at Shenandoah University and the daughter of a Russian Orthodox priest, tells the story of becoming a professional classical singer while remaining a faithful Orthodox Christian, as well as her passion for teaching people how to pronounce Russian arias. Spectacular virtuosic hi-jinks includ…

Archpriest Pimen Simon, pastor of the Russian Orthodox Old Rite Church of the Nativity of Erie, Pennsylvania, tells the story of the Old Believer movement and how he led his parish from being priestless Old Believers to receiving the priesthood from the Russian Orthodox Church.By Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick

Kassiane, the Chinese Language Content Officer of Ancient Faith Ministries, shares the story of her life between China and North America, telling along the way how Christianity is deeply embedded in the millennia-old Chinese language, what it means to be a Chinese Christian, and how the gospel of Jesus Christ, as understood in the Orthodox Church, …

Season 2 of Orthodox Engagement opens its story-telling with a consummate story-teller – Deacon Nicholas Kotar, author, choirmaster, translator and podcaster. The conversation begins with a look at the Story of the Pandemic and opens into a deeper exploration of the culture-wide and personal effects of Story and its relation to the greatest story g…

What would you do if you walked in on a man just murdered in front of his child? What does ministry look like when a whole community suffers from PTSD for generations? Fr. Paul Abernathy, pastor of St. Moses the Black Orthodox Church in the Hill District of Pittsburgh and CEO of the Neighborhood Resilience Project, joins Fr. Andrew to talk about hi…

An Orthodox conversation is emerging, forging headlong into the flat, disenchanted world with the weapons of hallowing and the armor of spiritual warfare... and it might look something like the Avengers? Steven Christoforou joins Fr. Andrew in the studio for an ad hoc, unscripted exploration of the project of Christian re-enchantment. Is it really …

An Orthodox conversation is emerging, forging headlong into the flat, disenchanted world with the weapons of hallowing and the armor of spiritual warfare... and it might look something like the Avengers? Steven Christoforou joins Fr. Andrew in the studio for an ad hoc, unscripted exploration of the project of Christian re-enchantment. Is it really …

What would you do if you walked in on a man just murdered in front of his child? What does ministry look like when a whole community suffers from PTSD for generations? Fr. Paul Abernathy, pastor of St. Moses the Black Orthodox Church in the Hill District of Pittsburgh and CEO of the Neighborhood Resilience Project, joins Fr. Andrew to talk about hi…

Biblical scholar and pastor Fr. Stephen De Young joins Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick to talk about the problem of Orthodox Christians in America appropriating the fullness of the Orthodox faith, especially in terms of the Biblical component. And of course giants, demons, angels and other spirits lurk in the woods.…

Biblical scholar and pastor Fr. Stephen De Young joins Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick to talk about the problem of Orthodox Christians in America appropriating the fullness of the Orthodox faith, especially in terms of the Biblical component. And of course giants, demons, angels and other spirits lurk in the woods.…

London-based professional storyteller Anna Conomos-Wedlock joins Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick to tell her story, to discuss how storytelling is integral to the Christian life, to share a tale or two from the British Isles, and to tell about the time her audience was entirely made of chickens.By Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick

London-based professional storyteller Anna Conomos-Wedlock joins Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick to tell her story, to discuss how storytelling is integral to the Christian life, to share a tale or two from the British Isles, and to tell about the time her audience was entirely made of chickens. (Part 1 of 2)…

Icon carver and Symbolic World YouTuber and podcaster Jonathan Pageau joins Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick to talk about the patterns of reality, how the world really works and what’s wrong with it, and the inevitability of re-enchantment. Along the way they talk about whether the sun really rises and sets, Santa Claus, Kanye West, Jordan Peterson and t…

Icon carver and Symbolic World YouTuber and podcaster Jonathan Pageau joins Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick to talk about the patterns of reality, how the world really works and what’s wrong with it, and the inevitability of re-enchantment. Along the way they talk about whether the sun really rises and sets, Santa Claus, Kanye West, Jordan Peterson and t…

Biblical scholar and pastor Fr. Stephen De Young joins Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick to talk about the problem of Orthodox Christians in America appropriating the fullness of the Orthodox faith, especially in terms of the Biblical component. And of course giants, demons, angels and other spirits lurk in the woods.…

Lithuanian expatriate Tomas Christensen, a private tutor, beer sommelier and convert to the Orthodox Church living in Norway, joins Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick to talk about his fatherland, life in Norway, the Orthodox history and saints of both places, and of course pagan beer rituals. (Part 2)By Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick

Lithuanian expatriate Tomas Christensen, a private tutor, beer sommelier and convert to the Orthodox Church living in Norway, joins Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick to talk about his fatherland, life in Norway, the Orthodox history and saints of both places, and of course pagan beer rituals. (Part 1)By Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick

Emily Wilkinson, a veteran of the pro-life movement and the new President and Executive Director of Orthodox Christians for Life, speaks with Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick about the revival of OCLife after 20 years and their vision for pro-life ministry within the Orthodox Church and throughout society. Visit their website at oclife.org.…

Orthodox podcasting pioneer and professional builder Steve “the Builder” Robinson joins Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick to talk engaging with the unlikely and unwanted, how God rescued him from ordination, evangelism, life, death and cancer. (Part 3)By Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick

Orthodox podcasting pioneer and professional builder Steve “the Builder” Robinson joins Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick to talk engaging with the unlikely and unwanted, how God rescued him from ordination, evangelism, life, death and cancer. (Part 2)By Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick

Orthodox podcasting pioneer and professional builder Steve “the Builder” Robinson joins Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick to talk engaging with the unlikely and unwanted, how God rescued him from ordination, evangelism, life, death and cancer. (Part 1)By Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick

Cathedral dean and Patristics scholar Fr. Joseph Lucas joins Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick to talk about Orthodox Christians on the Internet. How does the Internet interfere with the normal process of Orthodox traditioning? Included is a “rogues’ gallery” of problematic behaviors and their critiques.By Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick

Cathedral dean and Patristics scholar Fr. Joseph Lucas joins Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick to talk about Orthodox Christians on the Internet. How does the Internet interfere with the normal process of Orthodox traditioning? Included is a “rogues’ gallery” of problematic behaviors and their critiques.By Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick

Writer and Speaker Leah Libresco Sargeant, author of Building the Benedict Option and convert from atheism to Roman Catholicism, joins Fr. Andrew to talk about her conversion, about engaging privately and publicly online, and about building Christian community, including in the midst of pandemic.By Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick

Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick welcomes His Grace, Bishop Thomas, of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America to tell the story of his early mentors, how he became a bishop, and his sense of mission and pastoral vision.By Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick

Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick continues his interview with best-selling author and journalist Rod Dreher, covering his journey from and back to rural Louisiana, his career and worldview, and finishing up with his two best-known works — The Benedict Option and the new Live Not By Lies.By Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick

Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick welcomes His Grace, Bishop Thomas, of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America to tell the story of his early mentors, how he became a bishop, and his sense of mission and pastoral vision.By Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick

For the debut episode of Orthodox Engagement, Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick interviews best-selling author and journalist Rod Dreher, covering his journey from and back to rural Louisiana, his career and worldview, and finishing up with his two best-known works — The Benedict Option and the new Live Not By Lies.…

Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick says farewell to this podcast after 10 years and nearly 400 episodes. But he's not going anywhere, and he's also announcing two new podcasts beginning this year, as well as some very special news.By Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick

In the time of social distancing and isolation away from corporate worship, Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick says Christians must prepare now for their return to church. He gives five concrete ways to do that.By Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick

Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick tells us that angels were present and involved at the giving of the Law to Moses. The Lord Jesus says that the 'sons of the resurrection' are 'sons of God' and 'equal to the angels.' So then what does it mean to be saved?By Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick

On the Sunday of the Triumph of Orthodoxy, Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick discusses how idols are radically different from icons, based both on man's encounters with the visible God before and after the Incarnation and also on a thorough understanding of how idolatry actually works.By Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick

On the Sunday of the Prodigal Son, Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick discusses what sexual immorality does to a person, noting how its devastating corruption is inward and difficult to uproot.By Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick

With the parable of the Publican and Pharisee, Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick shows how the Pharisee was actually an idolater. He adds further comments on the nature of idolatry and why it always turns back toward the self.By Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick

On the feast of the Meeting of the Lord in the Temple, Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick discusses Christ's role as the First-born and what it means for us to share in his inheritance.By Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick